The present invention relates in general to a keyboard musical instrument and is more particularly concerned with a hand supported keyboard device including controls and cord means coupling to a remote synthesizer for control thereof. The keyboard device is preferably provided with a strap for supporting the device from the player's neck or shoulders, and also includes a gripping hole or slot permitting the instrument to be gripped and stabilized.
Keyboard artists playing under live performance conditions have heretofore been confined by the size and weight of their instruments. In a mordern combo or rock group a performer may use a variety of keyboard instruments which include the piano, electric piano, organ and, more recently, the synthesizer. Whereas guitarists and other members of the group are free, by virture of the light weight and small size of their instrument, to move around, the total performance of the keyboard artist is limited by his restriction to one place. The present invention is characterized by a weight and size no more than those typical of an electrical guitar. Synthesizers incorporate a wide variety of controls necessary to voice the instrument for a particular sound. Other controls are used more primarily as sound modifies and their frequent use by a performer during a musical performance add interest and enhance the dynamic nature of the sounds produced. An important feature of the invention is to place this latter type of control within especially easy reach of the performer and to provide several variable controls and push buttons which are at all times immediately under the finger and thumb of the left hand which grips the instrument.
Due to the excessive number of connections which would normally be necessary to permit such extensive control of a remote synthesizer another feature of the present invention is the means whereby electronic sampling of keyboard and control switch conditions permits the umbilical connections between the invention and the controller to be minimized.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,629 shows a keyboard musical instrument supported by a strap from the player. The device shown in this patent is quite awkward and requires a relatively large cross section tube having a keyboard slideable within a cylindrical housing until it aligns with an aperture in the housing. This prior art device although a fairly complete device has somewhat limited use primarily for connection to an amplifier while the present invention is for connection to and control of a complicated organ or synthesizer. Further, this known device is not concerned with minimizing connections to the remote apparatus. In addition, there are a number of other drawbacks to the structure shown in this prior art patent, all of which will become more obvious upon a reading of the following objectives of this invention.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved hand held keyboard musical instrument.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand held musical device for connection to a remote synthesizer or the like and including a keyboard and controller.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a hand supported musical device in which notes are played on a keyboard and which also provide means for easily holding and stabilizing the keyboard device. For this stabilization the housing of the device is usually provided with a gripping slot or hole normally held by the left hand. The device preferably also has control knobs and push buttons located on opposite surfaces adjacent the gripping hole which may be operated without repositioning the hand.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard and controller device which may be easily operated either in a hand held position or in a stationary position. In a stationary position the device may be supported on a table or stand quite easily as the housing for the device has a substantially flat bottom surface. In the hand held position a strap is preferably provided for supporting the device from the neck or shoulder of the player. Alternative supports may include a waist belt.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a keyboard device that readily interfaces with a synthesizer and which uses a minimum number of individual control wires in the umbilical cord interconnecting the device and synthesizer.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a musical device as described hereinbefore and featuring a control panel comprised of switches, potentiometers and indicators with only a single control wire being necessary connecting to the remote synthesizer for sending periodically updated signals of the states of the different switches of the control panel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hand held keyboard device and a simplified means of sensing key depression employing an optical interruptor. A serial signal requiring only one control wire is also used for sending signals to the remote synthesizer indicating the states of the keys.